In the Arms of Darkness
by Kagome1514
Summary: Just a one shot that I wrote on a whim. My opinion on what should have happened after Christine unmasked Erik. Enjoy! : )


**A/N: Hi! This originally was a one shot that I wrote in my online journal. I revised it a bit. I'm not really expecting reviews but it'd be interesting to hear any opinions on it. : ) **

**In the Arms of Darkness**

Christine sat in her dressing room, brushing her soft, brown curls while gazing into the mirror on her vanity table. She sighed softly. Even when by herself she was still haunted with thoughts about _him_.

She couldn't get him out of her head. He was always there. Especially his voice...Oh God! His voice! That was what tortured her the most! Her soul cried out for it, wanting to drink it in, yet her mind felt driven to insanity by it.

She set down her brush, gazing at her reflection with clear blue eyes. Just then, she heard the most familiar thing to her..._him_.

((Switch to Christine's P.O.V.))

I felt my breath catch in my throat as I heard the familiar ethereal sound of his beautiful voice calling out to me. So soft, so soothing...so hypnotizing.

"Christine...Come to me...my angel..."

I felt my body stand up and begin to walk towards the larger mirror. The mirror seemed to vanish but my mind knew it was just a trick of a switch moving it aside.

My face lit up with a smile that I had no control over as I recognized the white-gloved hand that reached out towards me. My mind seemed to watch from afar as my hand reached out and took his automatically.

My eyes took in the site of his lips quirking upward beneath the white mask that covered the right side of his face, leaving the left side of his face visible, along with the bottom of his right side. The mask came to a stop right at the top of his upper lip, leaving the area below visible.

My eyes stayed transfixed upon his face as he lead me down the dark tunnels that would take us to his underground lair. Everything was obscured in darkness so the dark, old-fashioned, clothes he wore weren't really visible, except for his white shirt beneath the dark jacket. I was able to see his white gloves and shirt, and his white mask, because the little light there was gleamed off of them. His fancy opera clothes were also obscured by the dark black cloak he wore.

I felt his fingers softly carress my hand as he lead me down the seemingly endless tunnel. He began singing softly, his way of offering comfort and support in the familiar, yet somewhat still terrifying tunnels.

His song was in a language I didn't understand but that didn't stop me from feeling the emotion in it, drawing security from his voice.

Soon we reached the edge of the lake, where the gondola awaited us. He let go of my hand and climbed into it first, completely stable as he turned and offered his hand again. He held my hand with a gentle strength as helped me into the boat.

It amazes me that he can stand stably while leaning over to help me take a seat.

Once I was seated comfortably, he turned and began rowing us along, using the long pole he always did. I couldn't help but admire the strength it would take to row that boat day after day.

He must have very strong arm muscles. The thought of his strong arm muscles somehow makes me blush. I'm glad that he was not looking at me. But then again, I don't think he would mind seeing me blush.

I gazed around me, taking in the mist that swirled around the boat, covering the surface of the lake. It was entrancing to me, beautiful in a mysterious way. Just like my guide...

I looked down at my lap, wondering why such thoughts entered my head. I shouldn't think such thoughts

I heard him murmur softly, "Christine, my dear, is something wrong?"

I looked up, noticing him looking down at me with concern. I looked around, realizing we were now on the other bank of the lake and that he was now standing on it instead of in the boat. My eyes quickly went back to his face and I smiled reassuringly at him, shaking my head as I replied, "No, Erik. Nothing is wrong. I was merely just thinking how strangely beautiful this place is."

He smiled down at me in an adoring way, offering his hand once more. I took it without question and let him assist me in getting out of the boat.

He paused and removed his cloak, draping it around my shoulders carefully, and if I didn't know any better, lovingly. He once again took a gentle hold of my hand and led me towards his home on the lake.

"Come, my dear, you must be tired. It is late." his voice murmured soothingly.

Now that he mentioned it, I was exhausted. My eyelids drooped so that my eyes were half-lidded with sleep. He paused and let go of my hand. In place of his hand, he wrapped an arm around my lower back, the other arm wrapping behind my knees. In the work of a moment, I was in his arms as he carried me towards the bed reserved especially for me. I closed my eyes, relaxing completely against his body, allowing him to carry me.

My breathing soon became steady, the pace that one has when they are sleeping. I felt as if he had me under a spell. I felt his legs move as he stepped up, heading toward the bed(I assumed). I felt him gently set me down on the silky sheets of the extravagent bed.

He must have thought me to be asleep because I felt his hand gently stroke my hair for a few moments. I could feel him lean down towards me and felt the warm, soft skin of his lips press against my forhead.

Once again, I felt his hand stroke my hair but this time I could feel the warm skin of his hand, meaning he had taken off his white glove.

My breath left my mouth in a soft exhalation of surprise that was barely noticeable as I felt his fingers stroke my face, moving along each of my features. His touch was feather soft as he stroked my face. I felt him stop, letting his fingers rest on the right side of my face, right near my eye.

My mind immediately asked the question that it asked so often: Why did he wear his mask?

What was it that he was hiding under it? What was on the right side of his face?

These questions were driving me insane. I had to know. However, he began stroking my face again and the soothing motions soon had me drifting off to a sleep full of strange dreams.

dreams?scaryorjuststrange?-((Just like my pagebreaks in my fics))

I heard his voice calling out to me, "Christine..."

"Christine...open your eyes...Christine...my angel..."

I opened my eyes to find him sitting next to me, his face mere inches from mine. I saw his lips curl up into a loving smile. His bare hand reached out and stroked my face lovingly as he murmured, "You truly are my angel..."

His smile fell and he continued stroking my face as I heard him drop his voice and murmur something that I'm not sure I was meant to hear, "Mine..."

My brows furrowed as his face took on a hard look. He suddenly became angry and pulled away.

"So, you wish to see my true face?"

He sneered and then ripped his mask from his face.

He bellowed, "This is what you wanted to see!"

I just stared. Was this what his face really looked like? Or was I just imagining it?

weirddream-

I opened my eyes quickly, my brows furrowing in confusion. It was a dream? It had seemed so real.

I sat up slowly and looked around, noticing that Erik was nowhere to be seen. I pulled back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I stood up carefully, surprised to find that I felt dizzy.

I clutched my head, stumbling across the room to the door. I opened it, hanging onto it for support. Why was I so dizzy?

The dizziness soon passed. It must of have been because I had just woken up. I must have made the blood rush to my head too quickly when I stood. I walked slowly out to the edge of the lake, gazing across it.

A cold blast of wind assaulted me, stirring my hair and causing my nightgown to ripple. I closed my eyes and went to wrap my arms around myself when I felt the familiar warmth and weight of Erik's cloak.

I gasped in surprise and turned around, face to face with Erik...my angel of music.

He laughed softly and said, "I could've told you it'd be cold. You would think that you'd know that by now. Come. Let's go back inside. I'll make you some breakfast."

I shook my head and mumured, "I'm not hungry right now." I turned around and again gazed across the vast lake, once again entraced by the mist swirling around it.

Suddenly, a melody popped into my head and I began to sing softly to myself, unable to really stop.

"I remember there was mist

swirling mist upon a vast, glassy lake ...

There were candles all around

and on the lake there was a boat,

and in the boat there was a man ..."

Remembering my dream, I turned toward Erik. I stepped forward, reaching toward his face with my right hand, stroking the left side of his face, the visible unmasked side.

I again began singing, uncontrollably.

"Who was that shape

in the shadows?

Whose is the face

in the mask?"

I noticed his eyes closed and he leaned into my hand. My hand swept across his face and I succeeded in ripping the mask from his face.

He suddenly rounded on me, furious, grabbing a rough hold of my shoulders and terrifying me as he yelled,

"Damn you!

You little prying

Pandora!

You little demon -

is this what you wanted to see?

Curse you!

You little lying

Delilah!

You little viper!

now you cannot ever be free!"

His voice seemed to break as he turned away from me,his hands leaving my shoulders and he turned completely away from me, cursing softly and brokenly,

"Damn you...

Curse you ..."

He began to half sing, half speak to me,

"Stranger

than you dreamt it -

can you even

dare to look

or bear to

think of me:

this loathsome

gargoyle, who

burns in hell, but secretly

yearns for heaven,

secretly . . .

secretly . . .

But, Christine . . .

Fear can

Turn to love - you'll

learn to see, to

find the man

behind the

monster: this . . .

repulsive

carcass, who

seems a beast, but secretly

dreams of beauty,

secretly . . .

secretly . . .

Oh, Christine . . ."

I began to cry, feeling frightened and terrible. Suddenly, I was surprised by Erik singing softly, his face down before he brought it up to look at me.

"Say you'll share with  
me one  
love, one lifetime ...  
Lead me, save me  
from my solitude ...  
Say you want me  
with you,  
here beside you ...  
Anywhere you go  
let me go too -  
Christine  
that's all I ask of you..."

I stood up and knelt beside him, stroking his face. I murmured, "Your face holds no horror for me. I...I've come to love you, Erik." His eyes lit up with disbelief and hope.

I began to sing softly,

"Say you need me  
with you,  
now and always ...  
promise me that all  
you say is true -  
that's all I ask  
of you ...

Say you'll share with  
me one  
love, one lifetime ...  
say the word  
and I will follow you ...Share each day with  
me, each  
night, each morning ...

Say you love me ..."

Erik sang softly,  
"You know I do..."

I sang softly,  
"Love me-  
that's all I ask  
of you ... "

Erik and I sang softly,

"Anywhere you go  
let me go too ...  
Love me -  
that's all I ask  
of you ..."

Erik shocked me by embracing me tightly, pressing my head against his chest and crying. I wrapped my arms around him and murmured comforting things.

After a little while, he stopped and I looked up.

He stroked my face softly, smiling.

"I can't believe your real. You're too good to be true...such a sweet angel for such a horrible creature of a man..."

I shook my head and said, "I'm no angel and you're no creature. You are simply a man who needs love." I paused and said, "And I give my love. My love, my heart, my soul...everything."

I leaned upward, my lips mere centimeters from Erik's lips. My eyes closed and I kissed him gently, lovingly.

His arms tightened around me and he cautiously kissed me back before making it more passionate.

He pulled back, leaving us gasping for air. He stroked my face lovingly and said, almost begging and seeming like he wanted to cry more,

"Please don't ever leave me. I've been alone so long. I'm so afraid that you're just a dream and that I'll wake up all alone...in my own hell. In this hell that society and God have forced upon me. You're the only light I've ever known in this kingdom of darkness. I can't stand the thought of losing you. Please promise me you'll stay with me."

I'm pretty sure my eyes sparkled with love as I murmured, stroking his unmasked face, "I promise. I'll be with you forever and I'll love you even longer than that."

His arms tightened around me and he buried his face in the crook of my neck. He murmured, almost sobbingly, almost like a prayer, "I love you so much! You truly are my angel of music..."

I smiled and murmured, "I feel exactly the same way."

I rested my head against his, offering him comfort and solace while finally feeling happy and loved.

**A/N::smiles softly: That's what should've happened after she ripped his mask off. XD**

**:sighs: I'm slightly depressed now. -.- Perhaps because I'm a hopeless romantic and am constantly daydreaming of having the tangeable love I can hold. XD Yes, I certainly daydream a lot. Most teenage girls do. XP **

**My very own Erik to huggle and...never mind. XD**

**It'd be interesting toget reviews but if I don't, that's cool too cuz I was just posting this for the hell of it. **

**Thanks for taking the time to read: ) **


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